1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electron tube terminal connectors and is concerned more particularly with a tube terminal end cap having means for supporting wires connected to tube terminal pins.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
An electron tube generally comprises an evacuated envelope sealed at one end by a vitreous stem having extended hermetically through it an annular array of closely spaced terminal pins. Within the envelope, the pins are electrically connected to associated electrodes of the tube, thereby providing means for making external electrical connections to the electrodes. Accordingly, external portions of the pins may be connected to suitable voltage sources for applying respective electrical potentials to the electrodes during operation of the tube.
External end portions of the terminal pins may be slidably inserted, for example, into aligned resilient contacting sleeves disposed in a dielectric socket member and having respective electrical wires connected thereto. However, during environmental tests, such as mechanical shock, vibration, and thermal shock, for examples, the resiliency of the contacting sleeves may be exceeded, whereby open circuit failures occur. Consequently, for tubes installed in high shock and vibration environments, such as control panels of aircraft, for example, the sleeves socket type of connector may be eliminated and the connecting wires attached directly to the corresponding terminal pins of the tube.
In the latter instance, however, some of the directly connected wires may be heavily insulated due to reliability requirements. Accordingly, in high shock and vibration environments, the heavy insulated wires may act as lavers to cause bending of the attached pins and consequent fracturing of the surrounding vitreous material. Thus, the vacuum-tight seal provided by the vitreous stem may be sufficiently impared to result in voltage breakdown or arc-over occurring within the tube envelope.
Therefore, it is advantageous and desirable to provide an electron tube with a terminal end cap having means for permitting electrical connection of wires to the terminal pins of the tube and restricting the transmission of associated forces to the terminal pins.